Sofoklis Schortsanitis
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| Nickname | Baby Shaq, Big Sofo, Hercules |
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| Position | Center |
| Height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Weight | 330 lb (150 kg) |
| League | Greek League / Euroleague |
| Team | Olympiacos BC |
| Number | 15 |
| Born | June 22, 1985 Kavala, Greece [1] |
| Nationality |  Greek |
| Draft | 2nd round, 34th overall, 2003 Los Angeles Clippers |
| Pro career | 2000–present |
| Former teams | Iraklis BC (2000–2003) Pallacanestro Cantù (2003–2004) Aris BC (2004–2005) |
| Awards | Greek League All Star Game MVP 2006 |
| Medal record | |||
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| Competitor for Greece |
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| World Championships | |||
| Silver | 2006 Japan | Greece | |
Sofoklis Schortsanitis or Sophocles Schortsanitis (Greek: Σοφοκλής Σχορτσανίτης) (born June 22, 1985 in Kavala, Greece, from a Greek father and a Cameroonian mother)[1] is a Greek professional basketball player who currently plays for Olympiacos BC in Greece's A1 Ethniki league and also in the Euroleague. A 6'10" (2.08 m)[2], 330 lbs (150 kg) center, Schortsantis was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2nd round (34th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft.
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[edit] Club Career
Schortsantis has been playing at a professional level in the Greek A1 League since he was a teenager, beginning with the club Iraklis BC, where he averaged 6.4 minutes and 2.6 points per game. He then went to Italy to play in the Italian League with Pallacanestro Cantù. He then returned back to Greece to play with Aris BC.
After his return to Greece he made a great effort to once again become the player with "unlimited potential" that had NBA scouts interested in his dramatic increase in ability that was closely linked to Olympiacos BC's attempt to regain its past glory days. For the A1 Ethniki 2005-06 season, George Garbolas chose him to be Olympiacos BC's new power forward. The press criticized the signing, stating that Schortsanitis was too heavy, but Garbolas proved everyone wrong, as he encouraged Big Sofo to lose weight. The power forward became a vital member of the team, and his performances impressed Panagiotis Giannakis who selected Schortsanitis to play for the Greek National Basketball Team.
[edit] Greek National Team
After some friendly matches and qualifiers, his first appearance at a major competition was at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, where Greece won the silver medal and defeated Team USA 101-95. Most notably, Sofo managed to score several impressive dunks against China's National Basketball Team star Yao Ming and the Mike Krzyzewski-coached Team USA.
[edit] Awards and Accomplishments
[edit] Pro Career
- 3-time Greek League All Star (2005, 2006, 2007)
- Greek League All Star Game MVP (2006)
[edit] Greek National Team
- FIBA Europe Under-16 European Championship All-First Team Selection (2001)
- Won the bronze medal at the FIBA Europe Under-18 European Championship (2002)
- Won the bronze medal at the FIBA Under-18 World Championship (2001)
- Won the silver medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship with Greece
[edit] Facts
- Schortsanitis appears as a locked free agent power forward in NBA Live 2004, being unlocked by a secret code.
[edit] Notes and References
[edit] External Links
- Big Sofo's Official Website (Greek/English)
- Euroleague.net player profile
- Olympiacos.org player profile
- NBA.com NBA draft player profile
- NBADraft.net player profile
- Interbasket.net Greek prospects
- Craig NBA Draft info
- Interbasket.net player profile
- Sofoklis Schortsanitis Pictures
- Big Sofo monster dunk
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